Neck protector

ABSTRACT

A collar-shaped neck protector to be used in water sports that is provided with an elastic material and another material to reduce friction with the neck. The neck protector is interposed between the neck and a water suit ( 20 )

This application is a National Stage completion of PCT/ES2017/070015 filed Jan. 12, 2017, which claims priority from Spanish patent application serial no. P201630073 filed Jan. 22, 2016.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of sport protectors. In particular, the invention relates to a neck protector for the protection from wounds caused by the rubbing of neoprene suits.

STATE OF THE ART

During the practice of sports in the sea such as swimming, surfing, paddle surfing, jet skiing, scuba diving in open waters, it is normally used special neoprene suits for the practice of such sports in order to protect the body from both the temperature of the water and jellyfish stings.

These suits, due to the salinity of the water and the constant movement of the neck during breathing while swimming or movement of the neck and the body in other disciplines such as surfing or scuba diving, among others, and how close-fitting they are, regardless of the quality of the materials, often cause injuries and burns to athletes, which are very annoying and take several weeks to heal. These wounds can be caused by inexpensive suits as well as by the most cutting-edge ones manufactured by the leading brands including those made of all types of skin although they are more common in sensitive skins.

At present there is no effective product to prevent such injuries or chafing. Athletes use medical petrolatum, band aids, bandages and other remedies, but none of them ensure that wounds will not emerge.

Medical petrolatum loses effectiveness during exercise due to the rubbing of the suit and the movement of the neck, especially if the sport is practiced for a long time. The adhesive strips used (bandages, Kinesio-tapes, band aids, . . . ) due to the rubbing of the neck, sea water and salt, quickly peel off thereby losing all their usefulness.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In order to avoid the above problem a neck protector has been developed in the form of a tube or collar, which has the function of creating a layer between the rubbing element, the suit, and the wearer's skin so as to avoid chafing.

A basic embodiment of the invention is defined in the independent claim(s). The dependent claims define additional features of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a cross section of the protector of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective diagram of the protector of the invention.

The numerical references of the elements of the invention are indicated below:

-   -   Neck protector (12)     -   Skin face (1)     -   Skin (10)     -   Costume face (2)     -   Aquatic costume (20)     -   Tongue (3)     -   Reinforced portion (4)     -   Thickening (5)

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The neck protector (12) of the invention has the shape of a tube or collar and can have a tongue (3) at the rear portion thereof. The neck protector (12) is shaped to create a layer between the wearer's skin (10) and the wearer's suit (20). This intermediate layer that comprises the neck protector (12) prevents chafing and other discomfort caused by the suit (20) in those people not using the protector.

The neoprene suits (20) used in water sports usually have the zipper at the back portion, and the end of the closure at the upper back portion, the one closest to the neck. The closure of this type of suits (20) usually comprises a zipper, a tape that is usually incorporated in the opening/closing slide of the zipper to aid the opening/closing of the zipper, and a Velcro to cover the zipper and keep it from becoming released or sliding down while practicing sports. All these components make this area especially prone to cause injuries to the neck of the suit (20) user. That is to say, it is an area with a high risk of suffering chafing. Therefore, an embodiment of the invention includes a tongue-shaped extension (3) in the tube or collar. The tongue-shaped extension (3) extends the protection of the tube or collar to this risk area.

Neck injuries occur in areas where there is more skin torsion, usually at both sides between the spine and the lower part of the ear or at the portions of the neck below the ears. To improve protection of these areas, the neck protector can be reinforced with more thickness (2 mm extra) in a reinforced portion (4), configured to be placed in these areas, which can be seen in FIG. 2. This thickening (5) improves the properties already described of the friction separated from both surfaces, the skin (10) and the suit (20), in the areas of greatest risk of injury caused by friction.

The neck protector (12) of the invention comprises a polymer in elastic TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) to which a percentage of petrolatum has been added in its formulation. Petrolatum is a homogeneous mixture of long chain saturated hydrocarbons. By adding petrolatum to the base formulation of the TPE, the coefficient of friction of the surface of the neck protector (12) is substantially reduced, thereby producing less friction between the skin (10) and the neck protector (12). This reduction of the friction improves the performance of the product, makes it more comfortable for the user and increases the protection by reducing the rubbing/friction causing the wounds or chafing of the skin (10).

The great elasticity of the material with a proven elongation higher than 300% allows a perfect adaptation thereof to the neck without causing pressure or drowning sensation. The petrolatum incorporated in the formulation of the neck protector (12) reduces the friction of the material in contact with the neck, thereby improving the results of the TPE without petrolatum. Additionally, the TPE has the ability to withstand without breaking or deforming against the application of forces parallel to the support surface (shear forces) and the ability to disperse the pressure against the application of compression forces from a suit face (2) towards a skin face (1), thereby avoiding excessive compression of the material implying a transmission of the compression forces to the user's skin (10) beyond the admissible limit. The TPE material has the capacity to disperse the pressure exerted on a given point, in several directions, but without reaching the bottom, thereby dispersing the pressure on a larger area and reducing the pressure on a specific point.

The composition of the neck protector (12) also allows it to be washable, reusable and biocompatible.

In an embodiment of the invention, the protector has a minimum thickness of 4 mm, which allows the perfect separation between the neck and the neoprene suit, thereby protecting the skin. The minimum thickness of 4 mm of TPE polymer is enough thickness to make the two faces of the neck protector (12), the skin face (1) and the suit face (2), illustrated in FIG. 1, move in an independent way. This effect is the main skin protector (10), by making both the face of the neck protector (12) in contact with the skin (10), the skin face (1), move along with the skin (10), while the face of the protector in contact with the suit, the suit face (2), moves along with the suit (20); this movement of the neck protector (12) is a shearing movement that permits to absorb the friction between skin (10) and suit (20), thus preventing the appearance of the wound.

One aspect of the invention relates to a collar-shaped neck protector, so configured to be used in water sports, comprising:

1a) a first elastic material;

1b) a second material configured to reduce friction with the neck;

wherein:

1c) the neck protector is configured to be interposed between the neck and a water suit (20).

In accordance with other characteristics of the invention:

2. The first material can be TPE.

3. The second material can be petrolatum. The percentage of petrolatum in the composition of the protector makes it possible to reduce the friction of the protector with the skin (10) and the water suit (20).

4. The first material can have an elasticity higher than 300%;

5. The neck protector can have a thickness configured to allow a shear movement between a skin face (1), configured to be in contact with the skin (10) of a user and a suit face (2), opposite to the skin face (1), configured to be in contact with the water suit (20), so that slipping between the skin (10) and the skin face (1) is avoided during use of the protector.

6. The neck protector can have a thickness configured to allow a dispersion of the pressure originating from a compression force from a suit face (2) towards a skin face (1), thus avoiding excessive compression of the protector that may imply a transmission of the compression force to the user's skin (1).

7. The neck protector can have a minimum thickness of 4 mm.

8. The neck protector may comprise a tongue (3) configured to be placed opposite a zipper (21) of a water suit (20). Usually, the zipper (21) of the water suits (20) is at the area of the user's back. Since the function of the tongue (3) is to extend the protection of the wearer's skin (10) to the closure area of the suit (20), an embodiment of the neck protector carries the tongue (3) at the back portion thereof.

9. The neck protector may comprise a reinforced portion (4) that has a thickening (5) to ensure greater protection at an area of greater friction.

10. The thickening (5) can comprise two zones configured to be located on an area of the neck between the spinal column and a zone below the ears. 

1-9. (canceled)
 10. A collar-shaped neck protector (1)), configured to be used in water sports, comprising: a) a first elastic material; and b) a second material configured to reduce friction with the neck; wherein: c) the neck protector (12) is configured to be interposed between the neck and a water suit (20).
 11. The neck protector (12) according to claim 10, wherein the first material is a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).
 12. The neck protector (12) according to claim 10, wherein the second material is petrolatum.
 13. The neck protector (12) according to claim 10, wherein the first material has an elasticity which is greater than 300%.
 14. The neck protector (12) according to claim 10, wherein the neck protector (12) has a minimum thickness of 4 mm configured to allow a shear movement between a skin face (1), configured to be in contact with the skin (10) of a user, and a suit face (2), opposite the skin face (1), configured to be in contact with the water suit (20), so as to avoid slippage between the skin (10) and the skin face (1) during use of the neck protector (12).
 15. The neck protector (12) according to claim 10, wherein the neck protector (12) has a minimum thickness of 4 mm configured to allow a pressure dispersion originating from a compression force from a suit face (2) towards a skin face (1), thus avoiding excessive compression of the protector that may imply a transmission of the compression force to the user's skin (1).
 16. The neck protector (12) according to claim 10, wherein the neck protector (12) comprises a tongue (3) configured to be placed opposite a zipper (21) of a water suit (20).
 17. The neck protector (12) according to claim 10, wherein the neck protector (12) comprises a reinforced portion (4) that has a thickening (5) to ensure greater protection at an area of greater friction.
 18. The neck protector (12) according to claim 17, wherein the thickening (5) comprises two areas configured to be located on a neck area between the spinal column and an area below the ears. 